Cadmium and mercury accumulation in European hare (Lepus europaeus): age-dependent relationships in renal and hepatic tissue

A total of 63 European hares have been collected from five Serbian agricultural regions. The hares assayed were divided into four age groups (3–6 months, 12 months, 12–24 months, and 24–36 months) and investigated upon presence at cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) in the kidney and liver. The positive significant correlation (Ps—Pearson’s coefficient) between Cd concentrations in the kidney and liver within age group the 3–6 months was found (Ps?=?0.81, p?p?p?>?0.05). Statistically significant differences were registered between Hg content in the liver of the hares aged 24–36 and 12 months (p?p?>?0.05). The strong statistically significant associations were registered between Cd and Hg content in the liver (Cd L/Hg L) in the age group 3–6 and 12–24 months (Cd L/Hg L, Ps?=?0.94; p?Ps?=?0.91; p?相似文献   

Size distribution of black (BC) and total carbon (TC) in Vienna and Ljubljana

During two campaigns in winter 2004, size segregated impactor samples (0.1-10 microm) and filter samples were taken in two Central European cities (Vienna, Austria and Ljubljana, Slovenia). The impactor samples were analyzed for major inorganic ions and short-chain organic acids, total carbon (TC) and black carbon (BC). Maximum concentrations of total mass were 71.6 microg m(-3) in Vienna and 73.1 microg m(-3) in Ljubljana. Minimum concentrations in Vienna were only half those in Ljubljana. The BC content of the aerosol was similar (ca. 8%), but the BC/TC ratio was higher in Vienna than in Ljubljana (0.39 vs. 0.29), reflecting the different contribution of diesel traffic emissions. The mass median diameters of the submicron size distributions of all major fractions (total mass, TC, BC and SO(4)(2-)) were smaller in Vienna (0.43 microm, 0.41 microm, 0.38 microm and 0.48 microm, respectively) than in Ljubljana (0.55 microm, 0.44 microm, 0.42 microm and 0.60 microm, respectively). Impactor/filter ratios for total mass were 0.79 in Vienna and 0.82 in Ljubljana, while the ratios for BC were 0.56 in Vienna and 0.49 in Ljubljana. An estimation of the mixing state of accumulation mode BC indicated that 33% and 37% of BC, respectively, are mixed externally to the aerosol in the accumulation size range in Vienna and Ljubljana.     

Evaluation of laboratory-scale in-vessel co-composting of tobacco and apple waste

Efficient composting process requires set of adequate parameters among which physical–chemical properties of the composting substrate play the key-role. Combining different types of biodegradable solid waste it is possible to obtain a substrate eligible to microorganisms in the composting process. In this work the composting of apple and tobacco solid waste mixture (1:7, dry weight) was explored. The aim of the work was to investigate an efficiency of biodegradation of the given mixture and to characterize incurred raw compost. Composting was conducted in 24 L thermally insulated column reactor at airflow rate of 1.1 L min^?1. During 22 days several parameters were closely monitored: temperature and mass of the substrate, volatile solids content, C/N ratio and pH-value of the mixture and oxygen consumption. The composting of the apple and tobacco waste resulted with high degradation of the volatile solids (53.1%). During the experiment 1.76 kg of oxygen was consumed and the C/N ratio of the product was 11.6. The obtained temperature curve was almost a “mirror image” of the oxygen concentration curve while the peak values of the temperature were occurred 9.5 h after the peak oxygen consumption.     

Sentiment analysis as a measure of conservation culture in scientific literature

Culturomics is emerging as an important field within science, as a way to measure attitudes and beliefs and their dynamics across time and space via quantitative analysis of digitized data from literature, news, film, social media, and more. Sentiment analysis is a culturomics tool that, within the last decade, has provided a means to quantify the polarity of attitudes expressed within various media. Conservation science is a crisis discipline; therefore, accurate and effective communication are paramount. We investigated how conservation scientists communicate their findings through scientific journal articles. We analyzed 15,001 abstracts from articles published from 1998 to 2017 in 6 conservation-focused journals selected based on indexing in scientific databases. Articles were categorized by year, focal taxa, and the conservation status of the focal species. We calculated mean sentiment score for each abstract (mean adjusted z score) based on 4 lexicons (Jockers-Rinker, National Research Council, Bing, and AFINN). We found a significant positive annual trend in the sentiment scores of articles. We also observed a significant trend toward increasing negativity along the spectrum of conservation status categories (i.e., from least concern to extinct). There were some clear differences in the sentiments with which research on different taxa was reported, however. For example, abstracts mentioning lobe finned fishes tended to have high sentiment scores, which could be related to the rediscovery of the coelacanth driving a positive narrative. Contrastingly, abstracts mentioning elasmobranchs had low scores, possibly reflecting the negative sentiment score associated with the word shark. Sentiment analysis has applications in science, especially as it pertains to conservation psychology, and we suggest a new science-based lexicon be developed specifically for the field of conservation.     

Toxicity of twenty-two plant essential oils against pathogenic bacteria of vegetables and mushrooms

Toxicity of twenty-two essential oils to three bacterial pathogens in different horticultural systems: Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli (causing blight of bean), Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (bacterial wilt and canker of tomato), and Pseudomonas tolaasii (causal agent of bacterial brown blotch on cultivated mushrooms) was tested. Control of bacterial diseases is very difficult due to antibiotic resistance and ineffectiveness of chemical products, to that essential oils offer a promising alternative. Minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations are determined by applying a single drop of oil onto the inner side of each plate cover in macrodilution assays. Among all tested substances, the strongest and broadest activity was shown by the oils of wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), oregano (Origanum vulgare), and lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus. Carvacrol (64.0–75.8%) was the dominant component of oregano oils, while geranial (40.7%) and neral (26.7%) were the major constituents of lemongrass oil. Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli was the most sensitive to plant essential oils, being susceptible to 19 oils, while 11 oils were bactericidal to the pathogen. Sixteen oils inhibited the growth of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis and seven oils showed bactericidal effects to the pathogen. The least sensitive species was Pseudomonas tolaasii as five oils inhibited bacterial growth and two oils were bactericidal. Wintergreen, oregano, and lemongrass oils should be formulated as potential biochemical bactericides against different horticultural pathogens.     

Investigation of bioremediation potential of zymogenous bacteria and fungi for crude oil degradation

Bioremediation potential of bacteria and fungi isolated from sludge samples has been investigated (Danube alluvium, Pančevo, Serbia). Total isolated microorganisms were divided into three parts. One part was added with actidione antifungicide. The second part was added with streptomycin antibiotic. The third part was without additives. Paraffinic type of crude oil was a substrate for assessment of bioremediation potential. The simulated oil biodegradation lasted 30, 60 and 90 days. Parallel with that, the experiments with blind trial were conducted. Extracts were isolated from the samples with chloroform in a separate funnel. They were assayed for the group composition (alkanes, aromatics, alcohols and fatty acids) by column chromatography. Alkane fraction was analysed by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The most intense oil degradation was achieved in the experiments with bacteria, somewhat weaker with consortium of fungi and bacteria, and the weakest bioremediation potential in these experiments was shown by fungi.     

Sources of organochlorine pesticides in air in an urban Mediterranean environment: volatilisation from soil

Organochlorine pesticide (OCP) cycling was studied in the area of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, over 3 days in summer with high temporal (4 h-means) and spatial (3 sites distanced 3-6 km) resolutions. Elevated levels of DDX compounds (i.e. o,p'- and p,p'-isomers of DDT, DDE and DDD, 44-74 pg m(-3) at the urban sites and 27 pg m(-3) as a background level), HCH (α-, β- and γ-isomers, 52-70 vs. 147 pg m(-3)), HCB (34-48 vs. <0.1 pg m(-3)) and pentachlorobenzene (6.8-9.9 vs. 6.0 pg m(-3)) were found. The variation of OCP levels at the two urban sites was not in phase, except for most DDX compounds. This was related to background levels, which for HCH were higher than in the urban area. Vertical profiles between samples collected from 1.1 and 2.3 m (part of the time 0.6 and 2.3 m) above a soil, which was only moderately contaminated by OCPs (0.12 ng g(-1) HCH, 0.11 ng g(-1) DDX, 0.44 ng g(-1) HCB) were analysed. Volatilisation from the ground caused negative vertical concentration gradients of HCH isomers (day and night), but not for HCB (except for 1 day-time sample) and DDX compounds (except p,p'-DDD, day-time, sporadically). The concentration in air and the vertical concentration gradient of the HCH isomers varied with air temperature (day-time maxima), while the variation of the HCB concentration was inversely related to air temperature and was determined by mixing (night-time maxima). α- and β-HCH were volatilised from soil throughout the three days, even during periods of cooling. Fugacity calculations, based on the absorption in soil organic matter as the process determining retention in soil, underestimated the volatilisation of β-HCH and p,p'-DDD. It is concluded that the representativeness of point measurements of OCPs in urban areas is limited by the spatial variability of soil contamination.     

Pollution of soils with organophosphorus flame retardants and plasticizers

The detection of the three organophosphate esters TCEP, TCPP and TBEP in soil samples indicates that pollution of soils from diffuse atmospheric sources has to be considered in risk assessments.     

Evaluation of potential human health risks from exposure to volatile organic compounds in contaminated urban groundwater in the Sava river aquifer,Belgrade, Serbia

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - The oil pollutant in the Sava River aquifer in the residential area of Belgrade, Serbia was investigated in order to analyze the extent, origin and spatial...